1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to stent visibility enhancement and, more specifically, to a method and system for deformable motion correction for stent visibility enhancement.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Coronary artery stenosis is a form of coronary heart disease in which the passage of blood through a coronary artery becomes at least partially obstructed by the thickening of the coronary artery walls due to the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol. If left untreated, coronary artery stenosis can lead to angina and death.
While coronary artery stenosis may be treated with medication, advanced cases may warrant intervention such as angioplasty. Here, a coronary stent may be inserted into the coronary artery. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a coronary stent and delivering devices. The coronary stent includes a catheter 10. A guide wire 11 runs through the catheter 10 and extends beyond an end of the catheter 10. Attached to the guide wire is a balloon 13. The stent 14 is positioned around the balloon 13. Once the stent 14 is in place, the balloon 13 may be inflated to open the stent 14 to the desired size. The stent 14 will then retain its open shape after the balloon 13 has been deflated and removed. The open shape of the stent 14 may then push apart the walls of the coronary artery to allow greater blood flow there through. The stent 14 may also be treated with medication for treating the accumulation of fatty materials that line the coronary artery walls.
Proper placement of the stent requires accurate visualization of the stent as it is moved through the arteries of the patient. Visualization may be obtained using a fluoroscope. However, as a contrast agent is administered into the bloodstream of the patient to visualize the arteries, the presence of the contrast agent within the arteries may obfuscate the stent within the fluoroscopic images thereby complicating proper stent placement.